SYNCHRONIZING MULTIPLE USER REMOTE CONTENT PLAYBACK

• US 20090222520A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Darnell, Michael, Sloo, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/52 Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal assembling of a multiplex stream by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, assembling of a packetised elementary stream at server side H04N21/236; disassembling of a multiplex stream, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, extraction or processing of Service Information, disassembling of packetised elementary stream at client side H04N21/434

Abstract

Playback of content downloaded or streamed from a network service is automatically synchronized for users at different client devices. Synchronization is achieved using user approved actions to perform during content playback. Each client device submits playback status to a server while the server generates and sends synchronization instructions for each client device. The synchronization instructions are based on user parameters and the difference in playback position between the users.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for synchronizing playback of content, comprising:

receiving a request for digital content from a client associated with a user;

retrieving contact viewing information for one or more contacts associated with the user, the one or more contacts viewing content at one or more additional clients;

receiving a selection of one or more contacts;

providing the requested content to the user at the client; and

automatically synchronizing playback of the requested content at clients associated with the user and the selected one or more contacts.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is provided to a user as streamed video content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of retrieving contact viewing information includes:

retrieving contact data for all contacts associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of retrieving contact viewing information includes:

determining which user contacts are playing back content that matches the user requested contact.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of automatically synchronizing playback includes:

receiving playback position data from each client device associated with the user and the selected content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of automatically synchronizing playback includes:

generating synchronization instructions for each client associated with the user and the selected content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of generating synchronization instructions further includes:

automatically generating an instruction to increase playback speed of the content.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of generating synchronization instructions further includes:

automatically generating an instruction to decrease playback speed of the content.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of generating synchronization instructions further includes:

automatically generating an instruction to not playback commercials within the content.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of generating synchronization instructions further includes:

automatically generating an instruction to only playback highlights of the content.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the synchronization instructions are automatically generated based on a difference in playback position and user synchronization preferences.

12. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving a selection from a user for content to be provided through an interface;

providing a list of user contacts currently playing the selected content, the list provided in response to the received content selection;

receiving a selection of one or more of the provided user contacts;

providing the content selected by the user through an interface;

receiving an instruction from a server to manipulate content playback; and

executing the instruction to manipulate content playback.

13. The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 12, the method further comprising:

sending the selected one or more user contacts to a network server; and

receiving the content selected by the user from the network server in response to the sending the selected one or more contacts to the network server.

14. The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 13, wherein the content is received as a stream of video data.

15. The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving synchronization parameters from a user; and

sending the synchronization parameters to a network server,

the instructions to manipulate content playback conforming to the synchronization parameters sent to the network server.

16. The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a playback update to a synchronization server during playback of the content, the playback update identifying the current time, the playback position, and the user associated with the playback.

17. The one or more processor readable storage devices of claim 16, wherein said step of receiving an instruction includes:

receiving an instruction associated with playback speed increase, playback speed decrease, skipping commercials, or only playing content highlights.

18. A system for providing synchronized content, comprising:

a communication interface for communicating with a network server and a display device;

a storage device;

one or more processors that retrieve content from a server in response to user input, configure synchronization parameters for a user, receive synchronization instructions from a remote server which complies with the synchronization parameters, and performs playback of the retrieved content by transmitting content playback data to the display device while manipulating the playback based on execution of the synchronization instructions.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the content is retrieved as streaming digital video content.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the system is a video gaming console.